BCC 2s vs Boyne Hill 2s

With 18 points separating first placed Bagshot and second placed Boyne Hill, this game felt like it was likely to decide the Div 5b title with only two other games to play. A tough week for the selection committee meant BCC were playing with a couple of debutants and some tricky decisions as to how to approach the biggest game of our season, having lost pretty comfortably to Boyne Hill earlier in the season.

Conditions were likely to play a big part in the game with overnight and morning rain, and a forecast suggesting there would be showers throughout the day. It was a huge toss to win and the Gods were clearly looking down on BCC's captain, with him winning the toss and having no doubts in choosing to bowl on a soft, green wicket.

Budd was given the first over, bowling to a man who had scored 157 out of Boyne Hill's 187 the previous week. Despite bowling a loosener that got cut to the boundary for 4 early on, he dismissed Naz Khan very soon after with a quick, full swinging delivery that crashed into his leg stump. This would be Budd's only wicket of the day, but he returned fantastic figures of 15-3-37-1. Tony Roome was the star of the show however, bowling superbly on a helpful pitch. He ripped through the Boyne Hill top and middle order finishing with figures of 20-8-64-6, all six wickets caught (Funnell x 2, C&B, slip, Derry at cover x 2).

Simon Farrant picked up two important wickets (6-2-10-2) and the Boyne Hill innings was ended when Matt Alexander had their captain caught at gully in his first over.

Boyne Hill were all out for 112 in 42 overs, leaving BCC 58 overs and the best of the conditions to chase 113 for victory and a huge leap forward in the title race.

Having been selected in the knowledge that he had to leave at 5pm, Tony Roome was promoted to open the batting with a free license to try and score as many runs in the time he had. Roome hit 8 fours and 1 six in his 46-ball innings, reaching 47 important runs before being bowled in the 15th over. An opening stand of 78 between Roome and Young had put the game beyond Boyne Hill and the MOM award could not have gone to anyone other than Tony Roome! Captain Sutton hit a run-a-ball 26 to finish the game in 21.5 overs, with Young finishing on 24*.

BCC 25 points, Boyne Hill 2 points....